Turkish Forum

Category: Armenian Question

“The great Turk is governing in peace twenty nations from different religions. Turks have taught to Christians how to be moderate in peace and gentle in victory.”Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary

  • Dashnaks Warn Sarkisian Over So-called Armenian Genocide Study

    Dashnaks Warn Sarkisian Over So-called Armenian Genocide Study

     

    Dashnaks Warn Sarkisian Over Armenian Genocide Study

     
    By Emil Danielyan
    Tuesday 8, July 2008
    In a clear warning to President Serzh Sarkisian, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Tuesday reaffirmed its strong opposition to the idea of Turkish and Armenian historians jointly determining whether the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted a genocide.

    The idea was floated by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a 2005 letter to then President Robert Kocharian. Kocharian rejected it, saying that this and other issues of mutual concern should be tackled by the two governments, rather than a Turkish-Armenian commission of historians.

    Sarkisian said late last month that Yerevan will not oppose the creation of such a commission if Turkey unconditionally establishes diplomatic relations and opens its land border with Armenia. Armenia’s leading opposition groups were quick to condemn the apparent policy change, saying that by accepting Ankara’s proposal in principle Sarkisian called into question the very fact of what many historians regard as the first genocide of the 20th century.

    The opposition concerns were echoed by Dashnaktsutyun, which is represented in Sarkisian’s coalition government and is known for its hard line on Armenia’s relations with Turkey. The party demanded and received an explanation from the presidential administration. According to a top party spokesman, Sarkisian has clarified that he believes the would-be commission should not determine whether or not a genocide occurred in 1915-1918 and should instead research “various details of the genocide.”

    Despite these assurances, the issue was on the agenda of the first session of Dashnaktsutyun’s recently elected governing Bureau held from July 3-8. “The Bureau is adamant that the fact of the Armenian genocide is not a subject of discussion, and no high-ranking official representing Armenia may have a different approach,” it said in a statement. “Universal recognition of the genocide is vital for the existence, security and future of our people and statehood.”

    (Photolur photo: Dashnaktsutyun leaders pictured during a recent party congress.)

  • After meetings in Turkey, Foxman says fallout over ‘genocide’ flap is ‘behind us’

    After meetings in Turkey, Foxman says fallout over ‘genocide’ flap is ‘behind us’

    JPost.com » International » Article

    Jul 7, 2008 23:04 | Updated Jul 7, 2008 23:11

    After meetings in Turkey, Foxman says fallout over ‘genocide’ flap is ‘behind us’

    By HERB KEINON

    The controversy and fallout over the Anti-Defamation League’s statement last year that Turkish actions toward Armenians during World War I was “tantamount to genocide” is “behind us,” ADL National Director Abe Foxman said Monday in Jerusalem, where he arrived from Ankara and a series of meetings with Turkey’s leadership.

    Abe Foxman, national director of the Anti Defamation League.
    Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski

    Last August, Foxman – who was in a dispute in the Boston area over the ADL’s position on the Turkey-Armenia issue – infuriated Turkish leaders by issuing the following statement: “We have never negated but have always described the painful events of 1915-1918 perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians as massacres and atrocities. On reflection, we have come to share the view of Henry Morgenthau, Sr. (the US ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time) that the consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide.

    If the word ‘genocide’ had existed then, they would have called it genocide…

    “Having said that, we continue to firmly believe that a congressional resolution on such matters is a counterproductive diversion and will not foster reconciliation between Turks and Armenians and may put at risk the Turkish Jewish community and the important multilateral relationship between Turkey, Israel and the United States.”

    The Turks viewed this as a reversal of the organized Jewish community’s position on the issue, and warned that Turkish-Israeli ties could be harmed if the American Jewish organizations did not work – as they had done in the past – to ensure that the US Congress did not pass a resolution characterizing the massacre of Armenians during World War I as genocide.

    The legislation was eventually removed from the table after US President George W. Bush, and numerous former secretaries of state and defense, wrote letters saying that passing the legislation would harm American interests.

    “They were angry,” Foxman said of the Turkish response to the ADL’s statement last year. “But I think today there is an understanding of where we were, and that we were opposed to Congressional legislation, and that we stood very firm that that was not the way to resolve the issue, and that there is nothing cataclysmic about using the ‘genocide’ word.”

    Foxman, who met with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and other key government figures, said his message was that the Turks should be “proactive” and try to help today’s Armenia as part of an effort to resolve the historic affair.

    “In the conversations I had with all of them I said there is a need to be proactive, that they need to deal with live Armenians, and strengthen the relationship between Turkey and Armenia, and by strengthening the relations today – frontier issues, opening borders – it will place the historical issue in the background and be much easier to deal with,” Foxman said.

    By the same token, Foxman said that the Armenian community in the US should understand that pressure to use “certain words they want us to use is not going to help one Armenian.”

    Rather, Foxman said, one of the ways the American Jewish community can help the Armenians it to “help convince the Turkish government to normalize relations” with Armenia.

  • No agreement on Sargsyan-Gul meeting in Astana

    No agreement on Sargsyan-Gul meeting in Astana

    04.07.2008 16:39 GMT+04:00

    /PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 5, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan is departing for Astana on a working visit to attend informal summit of CIS leaders.

    “The President will also take part in festivities dedicated to 10th birthday of the Kazakh capital. No agreement on meetings with other heads of state has been achieved yet,” President’s Spokesman Samvel Farmanyan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

    Turkey’s Abdullah Gul will also arrive in Astana. Turkish media reports say Mr Gul’s is not scheduled to meet with the RA leader.

  • Turkey Not Ready To Recognize The Genocide Of Armenians by Gevorg Harutyunyan

    Turkey Not Ready To Recognize The Genocide Of Armenians by Gevorg Harutyunyan

     

    Turkey Not Ready To Recognize The Genocide Of Armenians

    by

    Gevorg Harutyunyan
    Hayots Ashkhar Daily, July 04, 2008 Armenia
    Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences, Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan is the interlocutor of “Hayots Ashkharh” daily.

    “Mr. Safrastyan at this stage of the geo-political developments what peculiarities do Armenian-Turkish relations have?”

    “We must record that Turkey’s attitude towards Armenia is at clarification stage in the condition of the aggravation of the country’s internal-political situation. As we know the ruling party “Justice and Development” is facing different charges.

    Besides that, recently the sector of the Turkish secret organization named “Ergenekon” was revealed. The goal of the organization is to stage a military coup d’tat in Turkey.

    Ex-military-men, influential figures, Generals and representatives of Turkish elite are the members of the before mentioned organization, by the name of a Turkish epos.

    In fact it is the regular attempt of the traditional Turkish kemaly elite to maintain power. The thing is there is a struggle between two pro-governmental groupings in Turkey. The newly formed elite united with the pro-governmental “Justice and Development” party is struggling against the kemaly elite that has been in power for decades.

    This struggle has created great tension in Turkey’s internal political life. In such conditions the government in power did certain steps regarding Armenian Turkish relations, aimed at gaining the support of the West, especially the USA. It is not a secret that for many years the USA puts pressure on Turkey to open the borders with Armenia.

    In this context, it’s worth mentioning that the victory of Democratic Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama is becoming quite possible.

    Turkish analysts preview that in this case it will be impossible to avert the adoption of resolution 106 in the Congress.

    It is not accidental that the representatives of Turkish Foreign Ministry met with Obama’s counselors, during which according to our information the Americans recommended their Turkish partners to elaborate another program of Armenian-Turkish relations. The Turks will most probably try to create delusion among American democracy as if they are doing their best to improve relations with Armenia.”

    “Why delusion? Doesn’t Turkish people, society, or the authorities want to have regular relations with Armenia?”

    “In my view Turkey is not ready for principled changed in their policy regarding Armenia. According to Turkey Armenia must announce that it doesn’t have any territorial demands towards Turkey and that it recognizes Kars agreement, that it is ready for unilateral concessions regarding Karabakh, refuses the goal of the recognition of the Genocide of Armenians and will remove this issue from its foreign policy.

    Of course the latter is the most important issue for Turkey. But we must also record that Armenian historians and the specialists have already recognized the fact of the Genocide. American scientist’s society doesn’t accept Turkish stance saying that the fact of the Genocide is disputable.

    The US leadership also accepts the fact of the Genocide, but not officially, taking into account their state interests. But in the very near future the USA will have to officially recognize the Genocide of Armenians. In this regard Turkey intimidates that it will break off with the USA and will use sanctions, but it is of course ridiculous. And the USA in its turn recommends Turkey not to lose face and to find serious solutions.”

    “Recently OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted Turkey’s proposal, according to which the Parliaments of the member countries must encourage the idea of the formation of the joint committees of the countries with disputable issues, to conduct historical investigations. Thus many issues will be solved.”

    “Still in 2005, when Erdoghan sent a letter to our President to set up a committee of historians, Armenia officially responded that we are ready to set up a committee to study all the spheres. In my view this is the only way to bilaterally discuss, all the existing problems and achieve results.

    In case of setting up a committee of historians, believe me, Armenia will never agree to making the issue of the Genocide of Armenians a matter of discussion. We are ready to discuss the reasons and consequences of the Genocide in the framework of historical facts. But before the discussion there should be a certain consensus. For scientific dispute there are certain principles that must be mutually agreed upon. Otherwise the discussion is senseless.”

  • Reconciliation Attempts Between Turkey And Armenia

    Reconciliation Attempts Between Turkey And Armenia

     

    Reconciliation Attempts Between Turkey And Armenia

    by

    Ömer Engin LUTEM

    Turkish Forum Advisory Board Member
    03 July 2008
    The echos of the decision of Serj Sarkisyan, the President of Armenia, to invite the Turkish President Abdullah Gül to the football match that will be played between Turkey and Armenia on September 6, 2008, are still continuing. However, the statement made by the group representative of the Dashnak Party in the Parliament, Vahan Hovannisyan, a presidential candidate in the previous elections, implies that they will protest the visit of Abdullah Gül if he goes to Yerevan. Although the Dashnak Party is a part of the coalition in the Armenian Parliament, they have different policies that sometimes contradict governmental policies.

    In terms of the relations between the two countries, the most attention -grabbing part of Sarkisyan’s words is that he is not actually against the set-up of a commission that is to investigate the 1915 incidents. Due to the reason that such a commission may threaten the “genocide” that is regarded as a historical fact, not only the Dashnaks, but also the supporters of the chief opposition leader, the former president Ter Petrosyan, have reacted Serj Sarkisyan’s views.

    The Armenian presidency and the government made some statements concerning these reactions. Samyel Fermanyan, the press spokesman of the President, stated that accepting the investigation of an event would not discredit the truth. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edvard Nalbatyan, said that the establishment of that commission would not prevent Armenia’s worldwide activities for the recognition of the “Armenian Genocide”. As to the Dashnaks, their spokesman stated that they asked an explanation from President Sarkisyan who said that this commission would by no means determine whether there was a genocide, but, on the contrary, it would only examine some aspects of the genocide.

    As can be seen, Armenian authorities consider that the commisson should first of all agree that a genocide took place, and then it can investigate some details of the “genocide”. Moreover, they state that they will continue to promote the genocide activities for its recognition. There is no doubt that, with this approach, the commission will be disfuntional.

    Armenian press, inspired by the statements made by President Sarkisyan in Moskov, considers that Armenia accepts this commission as a counterpart for the openning of the Turkish border and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

    However, the statements of some American Foreign Affairs officials, such as Daniel Fried and Mattew Bryza, envisage another reconciliation formula which propose the Armenian recognition of Turkish territorial integrity, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia, and the openning of the Turkish border which would be followed by the establishment of the commission.

    Currently, the Armenian press is not mentioning the Armenian recognition of Turkish territorial integrity that would mean the end of “Great Armenia” dreams. It is possible that this issue, if becomes upfront, will get as much reaction as the historians’ commission does.

  • The Armenian Issue, Genocide By The Ottomans?

    The Armenian Issue, Genocide By The Ottomans?

     

     

    The Armenian Issue, Genocide By The Ottomans?
    June 23rd, 2008, SOP newswire
    Recently, the Swedish Parliament decided, nearly unanimously, that there had not been an Armenian genocide by the Ottomans. Swedish officers were on duty as observational officers in the 1915 incident, when Armenians started to shoot at the Ottoman Army from behind and as the German General ordered the expatriation of the Armenians in the region.

    Hence, Ottoman army paid in silver, daily moneys to the Armenians (half the amount to the children) and pushed them to the south. Swedish officers and under officers followed this plight as observers and their reports are in the Swedish archives.

    This is the reason why there are Armenians today, in southern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen. Many Armenians emigrated to France and USA. Had they been killed, there would not be Armenians in these countries now.

    Armenians lived happily in the Ottoman Empire and contributed significantly in all the professions. During the WW1, with the influence of the British, Russians encouraged Armenians to revolt against Ottomans and Armenians, in many instances murdered Turks and Kurds. (70.000 In Van region and more in other regions.)

    Russian archives have abundant reports on these, which Prof. Perincek of Turkey recently has discovered.

    Archives of Ottomans, Germans, British and Russians and of the USA and of Armenia have plenty of evidence that there has been no genocide whatsoever.

    The UN has no resolution on that and no court has decided on such a thing. Armenians are afraid to open up their archives as this would reveal their lies.